Governor Bill Richardson – Peterson Zah COVID-19 Navajo Families Relief Fund Announces Grant for Intensive Care Doctor in Gallup, New Mexico

May 12, 2020,

Today, the Governor Richardson – Peterson Zah COVID-19 Navajo Families Relief Fund announced a $10,000 donation to the Western Health Foundation. This donation will be used to contribute to the salary of a new Intensive Care specialty doctor for the Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital (RMCH) in Gallup, New Mexico. RMCH is experiencing an influx of COVID-19 patients, most of whom are Native American.

“Without an ICU specialist, many of these patients must be transferred to other facilities when they are in dangerously fragile conditions,” said Governor Bill Richardson. “We wanted to help the hospital avoid these transfers and the emotional toll they take on patients and their families.”

“We are extremely grateful for this donation, which is of significant help in quickly bringing on an Intensive Care specialty physician,” said Ina Burmeister, Executive Director of the Western Health Foundation. “Rehoboth Christian Hospital has a seven-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) which can be fully utilized for COVID-19 patients once the new Intensive Care physician is on board.  Our goal is to provide the best possible care for patients requiring ICU level of care.”

The Governor Bill Richardson – Peterson Zah COVID-19 Navajo Families Relief Fund has delivered supplies of nitrile gloves, face shields, 3-ply masks, and hand sanitizer to locations in New Mexico, including Crownpoint, Church Rock, Huerfano, and Nageezi. In partnership with Molina Healthcare and the New Mexico Children’s Foundation, the Fund is dedicated to purchasing and delivering personal protective equipment and other immediate health care needs to tribal clinics, hospitals, non-profits, and families on the Navajo Nation.

For those interested in donating to the fund, please visit the New Mexico Children’s Foundaiton website at www.nmchildren.org or mail a check to:

New Mexico Children’s Foundation

PO Box 8182

Santa Fe, NM 87504

Please indicate Richardson-Zah Fund in the memo line.

 

For more information:

Maddy Mahony

(917) 496-6614

maddy@billrichardson.com

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